Sheet-handling mechanism for presses, creasers, and the like



Nov, 11,1 24- I v E. FREY SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM FOR PRESSES,CREASERS, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1922 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR z,

BYMIM ATTORNEYS Nov. 11; 1924- E. FREY SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM FORPRESSES, CREASERS, AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26 1922ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. ll, 1.924.

ELLSWORTH FREY, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO ULTEX MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01 HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SHEET-HANDLING MECHANISM FO'B PRESSES, CREASERS, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed. January 26, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ELLSWOR'lI-I FREY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield. in the county of Hampden and State oflslassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inSheet-Handling lllechanisn'i for Presses, Creasers, and tl e like, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet handling11'160l1211118111, which is particularly adapted for use in connectionwith presses, cutters, and creasers and like ma chines making use of aswinging platen, to feed sheets to and remove them from the machine.

The invention has for one object to provide means in the nature of aswinging sheet conveyor, operable by the swinging movement of the platenand arranged to swing toward a stack of sheets to be fed as the platenmoves toward its bed and to swing over the platen as the latter nearsits outer position.

The invention also has for an object to provide in connection with asheet conveyer of the type described, or any other suitable type, anovel means for picking up a sheet from a stack thereof and a novel formof releasing the sheet at the proper time from such means.

The invention also has for an object tc provide improved means in thenature of a swinging nipper frame, for extracting the sheets from themachine, such means being operable by swinging movement of the platenand having nipper jaws which are closed down upon the sheet as thelatter "is carried against the bed of the machine by the platen andwhich are opened automatically after the sheet has been extracted by themovement of the platen away from the bed.

()ther objects and advantages will appear in the following descriptionand in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevational view of a cutting andcreasing machine showing the invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figs. 8 and f are cross sectional views taken on the lines 3 .3 andrespectively of Fig. 2;

Serial ,No. 531,888.

Fig. 5 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary sectional view 'of the endportion of one of the arms shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a detail of thenippcr construction. I

Referring to these drawings, I have indicated, in more or lessconventional form, a cutting and creasing machine, represented generallyby reference letter This machine, used generally in the art ofmanufacturing paper boxes and the like, is too well known to requiredetailed description.

It includes a. bed 6 with which a swinging' member or platen ccooperates, such member being movable from the position; shown by fulllines to that shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 by the followingmechanism. Links d, one on each side of the machine and pivotallyconnected at one end to the member 0, are similarly connected at theirother ends to crank pins 6, carried by gears f, which are fixed to ashaft 9 and driven by pinions h from the main drive shaft 2' of themachine.

The invention will be disclosed in connection with the particularmachine just described, as an illustrative example of one of its manyuses. The invention is equally capable of use on presses and othermachines having two members which are relatively movable in the samegeneral manner as those shown at b and c in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for feeding sheets to the machine A is mounted in a frameK which as shown is of skeleton construction, affording a guide for a.vertically movable platform 10 upon which the sheets are carried invertically stacked relation. The frame K is portable and may be movedaway from machine A, when desired, being normally held thereto by bars11 which are suitably and removably sccured to the base of machine A, asby screws 12.

The platform 10 is preferably moved step-by-step upwardly at eachoperation of machine A in order to keep the top of the stack atsubstantially a constant level for cooperation with the sheet feedingmechanism.v To this end, two elevator drums 13 are provided, oneadjacent each side of platform 10, both drums being fixed to a shaft 14,rotatably mounted in brackets 15 and 16, carried by frame K. An eye 17is fixed to each drum anda cable 18 is looped through this eye, its twoextensions passing upwardly over a sheave or sheaves 19, and thencedownwardly for connection in laterally spaced relation to platform 10.Fixed to shaft 14 is a gear 20, and in mesh therewith, is a pinion 21mounted on a stud '22 carried by bracket 16. Fixed to pinion 21 is agear 23, driven by a pinion 24, to which is fixed a ratchet wheel 25,the latter and pinion 24 being rotatable on a stud 26 carried by bracket16. A holding pawl 27 mounted on frame K, is associated with ratchet 26as is also an actuating pawl 23, carried by an arm 29, pivotally mountedon stud 26. Arm 29 is connected by a link 30 .to a lever 31, which ispivoted intermediate its --ends to frame K, and one arm of lever 31 isconnected by a link 32 to a projection 33 :fiXed to the link {Z alreadydescribed. The iconmotion between links cl and 32 is preferably adetachable onethe stud which forms such connection, being held in placeby a thumb nut 34, whereby the links may be conveniently disconnectedwhen it is desired to move frame K.

The sheet feeding mechanism, which opcrates to deliver a sheet to member0 while the latter is in the position illustrated dotted lines in Fig.1, is operated'by' the other arm of lever 31. The latter is connected bya link 35 to an arm 36 mounted for oscillation on a stud 37 carried byframe K. Formed on arm 36 is a segmental gear 38, which drives a pinion39 tired to an arm 40, pivotally mounted on a stud 41, carried by frameK, for swinging movement about an axis concentric with that of pinion39.. The sheet feeding mechanism as thus far described, is duplicated onthe rear side of frame K so that there are two arms 40 movable in unisonand parallel relation about a common axis. These arms constitute themeans for moving a sheet from the pile on platform 10 to the member 0.

Associated with the sheet moving means just described .is a mechanismfor picking up a sheet, holding it for the proper interval and thenreleasing it. This mechanism is carried by a shaft 43 mounted in thefree ends of arms 40 and extending therebetween. Mounted on shaft 43 ataxially spaced points are a plurality of sets :of arms, eachsetconsisting oftwo arms 44 and 45 loosely mounted on the shaft inadjacent re lation and held against axial displacement between collars46. Alug 47 on arm 44 has a slot 48 therein to receive :a pin 49 on arm45 and thus limit the relative movement of the arms. A spring 50,connecting arms 44 and tends to draw them together as far as permittedby the slot 48 and pin 49. Two links 51 of equal length and eachpivotally connected at one end to a shaft 52 disposed vertically belowand in parallelism with shaft 43, are connected at their other ends, oneto arm 44 and the other to arm 45, at points spaced from the axis ofshaft 43 by distances equal to the length of the links between itspivotal points. The shaft 52, of course, connects with a similar set oflinks associated with the other set of arms, whereby both sets arecaused to move equally and simultaneously. This shaft 52 is supportedfrom shaft 43 at axially spaced points by other linkages, such as thatshown in Fig. 3, wherein the free ends of two links 53, pivotallymounted on shaft 43, are connected to the coirespondjng free ends of twolinks 54, the other ends of which are pivotally connected to shaft 52.

The arms 44 and 45 carry the devices for picking up the sheets and suchdevices preferably consist of a plurality of needles 55 projectingradially from a rod 56 rotatably mounted in and extending transverselythrough the arm. Located intermediate the ends of rod 56 and projectingradially therefrom through a slot 57 is a pin '58, which by abutmentwith the ends of slot 57 limits the turning movement of the rod. Aspring 59 connects pin 58 to arm 44 and tends to hold the rod 56 .in theillustrated position but permits the latter, and the needles 55, to turnupwardly when the arms 44 are forced downwardly upon the stack ofsheets, so that the rounded ends of arms 44 and 45, rather than theneedles 55, rub over the sheet as these arms are spread apart by theaction of forcing them down upon the stack, which occurs when arms 49are moved into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1. As the farmsstart to swing upwardly on their movement towed the position shown bydotted lines in Fig. l, springs 59 more the needles downwardly and alsothe springs draw the arms 44 and 45 toward one another, causing theneedles to dig into the upper sheet of the stack. The entire assembly ofparts carried by shaft 43, being free to thereon, is maintained levelduring the movement of arms 40 into their dotted line position and pads60, preferably of rubber or the like and carried by :arms 61 extendingfrom frame K and are located in the path of shaft 5.2 so that the latteris arrested while the arms 40 continue to move slightly further. Thisrelative movement between shafts 43 and 52 causes the arms 44 and 45 tobe spread apart, thereby withdrawing the needles from the sheet andallowing it to fall a short dis ance upon the movable member 0. As thelatter moves toward member the arms 40 are caused to swing back towardand upon the stack of sheets carried by platform 10 and pick up anothersheet to be moved into delivery position on a subsequent movement ofmember 0 nto the PBS-lt-IOZD: shown by dotted lines Fig. 1. Theelevating means for platform 10 is moved one step upwardly as membermoves into the last named position.

The means for discharging sheets from the machine A includes a pluralityof swinging nippers, each including an arm 65 fixed to a shaft 66, whichis rotat-ably mounted at its ends in and extends between two brackets 67fixed to the frame of machine A. Shaft 66 is rocked in its bearings byarms 68, fixed thereto and arranged at opposite ends thereof. Each arm68 is connected by a link 69 to one arm of a lever 70, pivotedintermediate its ends at 71 to the bracket 67, and the other arm of thelever is connected by a link 72 to the crank pin 0 already described.Thus, as member 0 swings toward the position illustrated by dotted linesin Fig. 1, the nipper arms 65 are caused to swing upwardly and to returninto the illustrated position on the return movement of this member.

Each arm 65 carries,at its free end, a depending and fixed nipper jaw73. Cooperating therewith is a movable jaw 7 4, which is pivoted at 7 toarm and has an operating arm extension 76. The latter is pivotallyconnected by a link 77 to one end of a bar 78 which is slidably mountedin guides 79 on arm 65.

Each bar 78 is releasably held in either of its two extreme positions bysuitable means, such as a spring pressed pin 80 (Fig. 6) which engagesin recesses 81 and 82 in bar 78. lVhen. pin 80 is engaged in recess 81the nipper jaws are in closed position, and when engaged in recess 82,the jaws are in open position. The jaws are operated by sliding the arm78, and when the jaws are closed, they remain closed until, in the vupward swinging movement of arms 65, the

ends of bars 78 engage adjustable stop screws 84:, mounted in brackets67 and disposed in the path of arms 7 8. As the jaws open, the sheet, ass, has been lifted completely out of the machine and carried to the leftin position to fall, when released, upon inclined guides 85, upon whichthe sheet slides to a suitable receiving device not shown. The jaws ofthe nippers, having been opened, are held open during the returnmovement of arms 65 until engaged by adjustable stop screws 86 mountedin levers 87, which are pivoted on a rod 88 supported by brackets 89secured to brackets 67. Each lever 87 is arranged in the path of a lug90 011 member a, and as the latter approaches its full line position,the lever 87 is engaged and moved and causes the bar 78 to be moved andclose the nipper jaws upon the sheet carried by member 0.

The invention has been disclosed herein in an embodiment at presentpreferred for illustrative purposes, but the scope of the inventionis'definedtby the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription.

lVhat I claim is:

1. Sheet feeding mechanism, comprising, sheet conveying means adapted tobe moved toward and away from the stack of sheets to be fed, yieldablemeans carried by the first named means and arranged to be forced againstthe stack and stressed thereby, and means operable by the relief instress of said yieldable means as the conveying means moves away fromthe stack to pick up the foremost sheet thereof.

2. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from asheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means andincluding resiliently connected parts arranged to be forced against thesheet and spread apart as the conveying means moves toward the sheet,and needlescarried by said parts and arranged to enter the sheet whensaid parts are drawn together as the conveying means moves away fro-mthe sheet.

3. Sheet feeding mechanism, comprising, sheet conveying meansadapted tobe moved toward and away from the stack of sheets to be fed, vieldablemeans carried by the first named means and arranged to be forced againstthe stack and stressed thereby, means operable by the relief in stressof said yieldable means as the conveying means moves away from the stackto pick up the foremost sheet thereof, and means to stress saidyieldable means as the conveying means move into sheet discharging posi'tion to release the sheet.

4.. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from asheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means andincluding resiliently connect-ed parts arranged to be forced against thesheet and spread as the conveying means moves toward the sheet, needlescarried by said parts and arranged to enter the sheet when said partsare drawn together as the conveying means moves away from the sheet, andmeans to spread said parts as the conveying means moves into sheetdischarging position to withdraw the needles from the sheet.

5. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from asheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means andincluding pivoted arms resiliently connected and arranged in divergingrelation, the ends of said arms arranged to be forced against the sheetby said conveying means and spread apart, and needles carried by saidarms arranged to enter the sheet from opposite directions as the armsdraw toward one another when the conveying means moves away from thesheet.

6. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from asheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means andincluding pivoted. arms resiliently connected and arranged in diverg ingrelation, the ends of said arms arranged to be forced against the sheetby said conveyn I n bed means ad acent the machine for carry- "mg avertical stack of sheets to be supplied successively to the platen whenswung away from said bed, swinging conveying means operable by movementof the platen and arranged to move from a position over said stack to aposition over said platen when the latter is swung away from the bed,and means for picking up a sheet from said stack when the conveyingmeans is in the first position and releasing it when the conveying meansis in the second position.

8. The combination in a machine having a swinging platen movable to andfrom a bed, of a frame pivoted to swing upwardly away from the bed asthe platen moves away a swinging platen movable to and from a bed, of afame pivoted to swing upwardly away the bed as the platen moves awayfrom the latter. and operably connected to the platen to be movedthereby, nipper jaws carried by said frame, means for opening the jawsas the frame nears its upper position, and means for closing them uponthe sheet of paper as the platen nears its bed and-said frame nears itslower position.

10. The combination in a machine having a swinging platen movable to andfrom a bed, of a frame pivoted to swing upwardly away from the bed asthe platenv moves away from the latter, nipper jaws carried by saidframe, means for opening the jaws as the frame nears its upper position,and means on the platen for closing them upon the sheet of paper as theplaten nears its bed and said frame nears its lower position. Intestimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

ELLSWORTH FREY

